1. Field of the Disclosure
The invention relates in general to mulch products, and more particularly, to mulch products that can be used in association with the germination of seeds and the like, which generally comprise a plurality of fibers that are intimately mixed and either bailed or pelleted.
2. Background Art
The use of germination aids for grass seed and the like in the form of fiber mulches is well known in the art. A number of different formulations have been developed and have entered the marketplace. Among others, one such mulch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,299 issued to Morris, the entire specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other mulches are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,782; 5,916,027; 6,076,299; 6,349,499; 6,360,478; 6,729,807; 6,158,167; 5,942,029; and 5,741,832 all issued to Spittle alone or in association with a co-inventor.
Despite these developments, there remain drawbacks. For example, among other drawbacks, it is desirable to improve both the absorption of water as well as the overall amount of water that is retained by a given quantity of mulch. For example, while relatively expensive, a surfactant can be utilized to improve the absorption of water. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to properly intimately mix these materials properly and the cost of the surfactant may have a negative impact on the overall product acceptance.
It would be advantageous to provide a mulch that would have improved absorption and retention properties over that which is provided in the prior art. It would be advantageous to provide a mulch formulation that can provide improved results without the use of surfactants. It would additionally be advantageous to provide a mulch formulation which has the flexibility to be utilized in a number of applications in either a bailed or a pellitized format.